Chapter Seventy-Six: Reluctance

Bai Chenxi waved her hand. “No, no. I just… What are you doing here?”

“It just so happens I have work nearby. And since someone was in tears yesterday, I came by today to see if your eyes were swollen.”

Chu Muyun touched the bridge of his nose, trying to hide his awkwardness.

“How thoughtful of our King Chu, coming all this way just to laugh at me.” Bai Chenxi took off her sunglasses and leaned closer to him. “Take a good look. Satisfied?”

Faced with Bai Chenxi so close, Chu Muyun couldn’t help but swallow nervously, his body leaning back as he reached out to cover her small face with his palm.

“Not especially.”

Bai Chenxi brushed his hand aside and sat upright smugly. “Not even a hint of dark circles. Sorry to disappoint you! I feel so bad, truly!”

Watching her theatrical antics, Chu Muyun asked, “Does the director know how dramatic you can be?”

Bai Chenxi rolled her eyes. Always so quick to rain on her parade.

Chu Muyun handed her the menu. “Order whatever you like. My treat.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly! You’ve come all this way to see me—how could I let you pay?” she said, her hands already flipping through the menu.

Chu Muyun had long since learned how to deal with Bai Chenxi and her occasional dramatic outbursts.

As she drooled over the menu, Bai Chenxi suddenly looked up. “Brother Chu, don’t tell me… is this place yours too?”

Chu Muyun didn’t deny it; instead, he asked with interest, “Why do you say that?”

Bai Chenxi was astonished. “No way, how many restaurants do you actually own, Brother Chu?”

His fingers tapped lightly on the table. “With all the foot traffic here at the film studio, how could I not open one?”

Bai Chenxi stared at him in admiration. “Just tell me, how many restaurants like this do you have across the country?”

“It’s more than just restaurants.”

Her eyes lit up instantly, sparkling as she fixed her gaze on him. “Big shot, let’s be friends!”

“Aren’t we already?” He nearly tacked on ‘girlfriend’ at the start. Chu Muyun patted her head. “Alright, today your big shot friend is buying. Eat whatever you want.”

After they’d ordered, Bai Chenxi remained curious. “Brother Chu, what other investments do you have?”

“What, investigating my assets already? Don’t worry, even with your appetite, I can still afford to feed you.”

“My appetite is just a sign of respect for good food. Respect, you understand?”

Chu Muyun could only nod helplessly. Her focus was always a little… unusual. But since he had chosen her, what else could he do?

After the meal, Bai Chenxi patted Chu Muyun on the shoulder. “From now on, I’m sticking with you. Remember me whenever there’s food.”

Chu Muyun wiped his hands and refused without hesitation. “No thanks. If I feed you too well, your agent will come after me.”

“Brother Chu, could you really bear to see someone as delicate as me going hungry, barely scraping by each day, unable to afford even meat?”

Watching Bai Chenxi play the pitiful act in front of him, Chu Muyun twitched his lips. What era was she acting in now—some drama from the forties? Still, it wasn’t out of the question.

A glimmer of cunning flashed in his eyes. “Alright, deal.”

“Brother Chu, look at me—wait, you agreed?” Bai Chenxi shook his arm in surprise.

“Mm! But I have one condition.”

Hearing there was a catch, Bai Chenxi lowered her hands. She knew it couldn’t be that simple. “Name it.” She was curious just what kind of trick he had up his sleeve.

“Cook for me. Should be easy for you, right?”

“Cook? Where did that come from?”

Chu Muyun nodded. “Yes, cook. You know my stomach isn’t great, and the food I make…”

He trailed off, but Bai Chenxi understood and nodded sympathetically.

Her ready agreement actually stung him a little. Chu Muyun gritted his teeth. “So, for the sake of my stomach, I’ll need your help in the kitchen. In exchange, I’ll take you out to eat whenever you want.”

Bai Chenxi hesitated. “But, we live pretty far apart… I can’t cook for you every day, timewise it’s just not possible.”

“We’ll work around your schedule. Whenever we’re both home, or both free, you can whip up something to improve the menu.”

Moved by his thoughtfulness, Bai Chenxi agreed readily. After all, she was away filming most of the time anyway. And even if she were home, Chu Muyun might not be around. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she was getting the better end of the deal, plotting away in her mind—unaware she was walking right into someone’s carefully laid plan.

Before long, she’d come to understand what Chu Muyun meant by “when we’re both home.” Inwardly, she cursed him for being a sly old fox.

Watching the little rabbit blithely fall into his trap without a clue, Chu Muyun was in excellent spirits.

He checked his watch and said, “It’s getting late. I should be going.”

Bai Chenxi looked at him, a bit crestfallen. “Already? You’re leaving?”

“Can’t be helped—work awaits.” Seeing her disappointment, he asked, “What’s this? Can’t bear to see me go?”

“Who says I can’t bear it?” In an instant, Bai Chenxi shook off her gloom, beaming. “Take care, come again soon!”

Chu Muyun actually started walking away—then suddenly turned back. “What are you standing there for? Come on!”

“But… I thought…” Weren’t you leaving?

As if reading her mind, Chu Muyun said, “I’ll walk you back first.”

Delighted, Bai Chenxi agreed at once. “Let’s go.”

They stopped a short distance from the set—together, they drew too much attention. With Bai Chenxi’s recent string of rumors, Chu Muyun didn’t want to cause her any more trouble.

“This is as far as I’ll go,” he said, ruffling her hair once more. Bai Chenxi really couldn’t understand why he liked doing that so much.

“Don’t overthink things on set. If you’re wronged, tell me—I’ll handle it. Just focus on your acting.”

Though she wasn’t sure how much she could trust those words, right at this moment, Bai Chenxi wanted to believe him.

Watching his retreating figure, she was struck by a sudden, inexplicable reluctance to part.

Am I really reluctant? she wondered. For Chu Muyun?

Any budding hint of ambiguity was soon interrupted by the arrival of an uninvited guest.

Meng Ling nudged Bai Chenxi from behind. “I knew it was you. That was Chu Muyun, wasn’t it?”

From a distance, Meng Ling had recognized Chu Muyun’s silhouette, and the woman beside him looked more and more like that shameless Bai Chenxi. The two seemed awfully close.

Unfortunately, by the time Meng Ling stormed over, Chu Muyun was already gone. The sight of Bai Chenxi only irked her further.

Bai Chenxi shot Meng Ling a look of annoyance. “What business is it of yours?” Without another word, she walked away, leaving Meng Ling to fume alone.

Meng Ling couldn’t tell anyone that Chu Muyun had come to see Bai Chenxi—she refused to let Bai Chenxi have the satisfaction, so she could only stew in anger by herself.

She considered calling Wang Xiaoya to hurry back, but then remembered she shouldn’t distract her. She put her phone away.

Bai Chenxi, I can deal with you on my own.